WJ Wild & Co Memories est 1919

Original sign from outside No 4 Works in Richard Wild’s kitchen! I think there’s a few other old signs the developers haven’t removed so must have a pop up there to look - between all the street art on the walls.

Company ties! I don’t think anybody wears one now but years ago nearly everybody did even those on the shop floor and tool room.

After 21 years WJ Wild & Co employees got a good watch. This was presented to my Father NL Wild. Anybody else have one in the family - if so post a picture of it ✔️ And of course the 21 Club cuff links and Tie pin

Well, family, friends & former Colleagues from WJW certainly gave Brian a good send off today at the Funeral Mass to celebrate his life, at St Augustine Catholic Church Solihull today. For those unable to attend here is the Eulogy read by Richard Wild, Norman Wilds son. Norman & Brian worked together for 48 years. RIP Brian

Apologies - revised date…..

The Funeral of Brian Williams who worked for WJ Wild & Co Digbeth, for 48 years, will be held at St Augustine’s Catholic Church at 10am on Tue 18th February. This is the church on the corner by John Lewis Car park / Touchwood. Brian’s daughter Deborah says all are welcome. Dress code smart casual and don’t be afraid to wear bright colours as Brian wouldn’t want people or the service looking bit being dreary! Afterwards the burial at Widney Manor Cemetery Nr Solihull. There will be a wake afterwards further details of that to be announced.

It’s with great sadness, Deborah Williams, has been in touch to tell me Brian Williams her Father passed away, aged 87, peacefully after a short illness at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital on Sunday 12 January. We are very sorry to hear of this as Brian was a total legend.

I don’t know where to start because Brian started working at WJ Wild & Co aged 15 and worked for the family business for 48 years. There’s few who can clock that many years up. He retired in 1998. Deborah tells me he started on the same day as my own Father, Norman Wild, so that would be 1950. Because he was so young when he started at the works, his own Father, who also worked at WJW made him a box to stand on to reach the press! I can only say it was an honour for me to meet up with Brian (and Deborah) a while ago for a coffee where we talked for England (Digbeth) about the ‘good old days of WJW.’

Brian was the Works Football Team Captain in the days WJW had its own Works Social Club, and he was a keen and excellent sportsman. Football was his passion. I’ve got documents with the works social club football team which I’ll post here soon.

Brian worked around the business and retired in 1998 from the Tool Room. I remember as a small boy being at the works and he saw that my penknife was broken and within half an hour he’d repaired it.

A very talented Tool Maker and highly highly valued by the WILD family.

If I hear of Brian’s funeral arrangements from Deborah I’ll also post on here.

RIP Brian. I know he’ll be chatting to my Dad Norman now and they’ll surely be talking of the good old days. And with all love and best wishes to Deborah and James, Brian’s grandson.

A Sunday trip down Floodgate Steet today. Once upon a time staff queued down the street to collect their annual Xmas hampers and Xmas Turkey. Today people were queuing (including my own daughter Isabella Wild!) to buy bras from a pop up bra shop held opposite at the Custard Factory!!

Wow - have a look at this what was Works No.2 and now The Performers College. I don’t think my Grandfather Les Wild and his older brother Jimmy Wild could ever have imagined the buildings changing use like this from a factory which once made 1 million washers a day!

More good regeneration of the factory area in Floodgate Street

Huge new food hall and events area to open in Birmingham The award-winning food and events operator will open at the Floodgate Street Arches

Top end of Floodgate St WJ Wild & Co owned these fascinating buildings, so I thought I’d write a little about them. Prior to the family selling the property in 2011 these buildings housed the relocated John Bradley Group Ltd, which included Fan Disc Ltd and Aston Screw & Rivett. They were based at Duddeston but the premises there were rented, so it was decided upon by Peter & Norman Wild to move the businesses next to McKinnon & Bailey at the top of the street to empty floor space. Incredible to think the former chapel was a factory knocking out screws and rivets all day! Eventually demand for these products dropped and the Aston Screw business was sold. China had the better of it. These premises now and that of McKinnons are now used for conferences and wedding receptions!

LOOK at the stone plinths - one laid by Richard Chamberlain. Brother to Joseph Chamberlain who’s youngest son Neville Chamerlain went onto become Prime Minister from 1937-40. He was buried at Westminster Abbey, but Richard and Joseph were buried at Keystone - Warstone Cemetery where WJ & LL Wilds father Walter Wild is buried who died in 1908.

It was a Unitarian Chapel of 1876-7 by George Ingall. It has a sharp gabled facade, divided by pinnacled piers.

Fazeley Studios as it is now might be a 21st century creative community, but architecturally, the building dates back nearly 150 years to when Digbeth was a gritty industrial and commercial hub.

The oldest part of the building was constructed as a Unitarian Sunday school in 1865, and now houses a spacious conference room and a group of character studios.

The north light studios occupy a series of factory buildings dating from the 1920s.

Digbeth was first settled in the 6th century and became an important centre for industry in medieval times as local rivers were harnessed to power its mills, before playing its part in the industrial revolution.

“I’ve been falling down so long it feels like floating up to me -47”

Can anybody help me work out where might this quote come from please? At the end, you will see from the photos it says in lower case rhe number 47. Perhaps this is a reading or a psalm from the Bible. Or a quote from a book? This and many other quotations were written and made into / set within the marble effect Toffalo Jackson flooring up the WJ Wild & Co Works No 4 Office stairwell. The new owners of the property have now had it floored over 😬